Canopy-casket.



W. B. JONES.

CANOPY GASKET.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 10, 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911.

miinmava COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BENTON JONES, OF NORTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CANOPY-CASKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM BENTON JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canopy-Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to caskets and coffins, and pertains especially to the class of caskets having overhanging canopies and drapery.

The object of the invention is to provide novel and peculiar means, foldable within the casket top or cover, for swinging a canopy into and out of position, and for holding the canopy in folded and unfolded positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for swinging a canopy into and out of position and for holding it in either of said positions, comprising a plurality of foldable levers fulcrumed together in pairs, and a plurality of pivot-brackets, certain of which are secured to the casket top and certain of which are secured to the canopy for pivotally connecting the levers with the casket top and with the canopy.

I am aware that canopies have been applied to caskets and coffins by various means of connections, and that it is common to hin e a canopy to a casket top so as to have it drop into such top when the casket is closed, but I have devised special means for raising and lowering a canopy and for holding it in either position, without interference with the drapery or ornamental hangings.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a canopy casket embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a casket top and canopy board partly broken away showing the application of the invention. Fig. 3 is a section showing various raised posit-ions of the canopy board in dotted lines. Fig. 41 is asimilar view showing the board in folded position. Fig. is a detail perspective view of a pair of levers and their pivot brackets. Fig. 6 is a detail section showing the latch.

The same reference numerals denote the s me parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The casket 1 has the usual hinged, recessed top or cover 2, and drop front 3, and the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 10, 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Serial No. 607,769.

canopy board 4 is hinged at 5 within the top 2, so as to be swung into and out of the recess of the top as desired. The central portion of the free edge of the board 4, is provided with a spring-latch 6, for engaging a catch 7 secured to the inner face of the top 2, and said latch is operated by a tasselcord 8 to release the catch. The board is covered with ornamental or tufted fabric 9, and such or similar fabric is secured to the front and end edges of said board; the end fabric extends or falls in draped condition to the casket, and the interior of the latter and the drop front are provided with a covering of fiuffy fabric 10, so that when the casket and canopy are in open or display condition, the fabric appears continuous from the canopy to the drop front, thereby hiding or shielding the casket almost entirely.

The device for operating or swinging the canopy board and the canopy fabric therewith comprises, preferably, two pair of levers, both pair being alike only one pair will be described in detail: one lever 12 has an offset ear 13, and a shoulder 1 1, and the other lever 15 has a like off-set 16 and a like shoulder 17, and the ears are fulcrumed together by a rivet 18, on the ear 13, so that when the levers are extended or opened to their fullest, the said shoulders engage and stop or prevent further movement of the levers: the lever 12 is pivoted at 19 to the short-arm 20 of an L-shaped bracket, the long-arm 21 of which is attached to the under side of the canopy board 4 at such distance from the end of the board as not to interfere with or engage the end drapery and at a certain distance from the rear or hinged edge of the casket top: the other lever 15 is pivoted to the short arm of a like bracket 22, the long-arm of which is attached to the inner face of the casket top atan equal distance from the rear or hinged edge of the casket top to that of the canopy bracket, so that the fulcrum of the levers when extended fully is positioned a distance from the said hinges equal to the length of one of the said levers. It is obvious that the other pair of levers are likewise located with respect to the other end of the canopy and casket top.

The canopy board is positioned at rightangles to the casket top, when the latter stands open, by first pulling the tassel-cord 8, to unlatch the board, and the latter is raised until the shoulders of the levers engage each other.

The arms of the levers are fitted so as to have such frictional hearing as to hold the canopy board at various inclined or partly open positions, and said levers are pushed and pulled at their fulcrum for operating the canopy to raised and lowered positions respectively. In closing the canopy into the casket top the levers fold together and occupy the space between the said top and the canopy board.

It will be seen that the levers may be operated to give the canopy any desired movement; that the levers control the movement of the canopy and hold it in both raised and lowered positions; and that such levers and their brackets may be expeditiously employed for applying the canopy to caskets or coifins of various designs.

Owing to the special form of levers and their location with respect to the ends and front of the canopy, the canopy fabric hangs free from and uninjured by the operation of the levers, and so that the fabric may be folded in at the front and ends Without contact with the levers.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. The combination, with a casket-body, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

cover hinged to the casket, and a canopy hinged to the cover and foldable therein, of a pair of levers pivotally connected and having engaging stop-shoulders for limiting the movement of the levers, a bracket secured to the cover and having one of the said levers pivoted thereto, and a like bracket secured to the canopy and having the other of said levers pivoted thereto, said levers adapted to be folded by the folding movement of the canopy.

2. In a casket, the combination, of a casket-body, a cover hinged to the body, a

canopy hinged to the free edge of the cover, a plurality of levers pivotally connected in pairs and adapted to be folded between the cover and the canopy, a pair of L-shaped brackets secured to the cover and having one of the levers of each pair pivoted thereto, a pair of L-shaped brackets secured to the canopy and having the other one of the levers of each pair pivoted thereto, and a spring latch on the free edge of the canopy for latching the latter to the cover.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BENTON JONES.

Vitnesses:

C. J. LEHMAN, G. S. GRIMES.

Washington, D. C. 

